Court Ordered Parenting Plan

Wendy Hodge March 21, 2021 Parenting

When it comes time to negotiate with the other parent about changes to the parenting plan, hopefully you are both on the same page about the changes. If the other parent is not open to the revisions, you may need to enter into some negotiations to change the parenting plan on your children`s behalf.

If the other parent refuses to cooperate on the agreement and insists on going to court, a parent should make every effort to prepare for court and get their parenting agreement accepted. The parent can suggest going to mediation to work things out beforehand, and some states even require that parents attend custody mediation before going to court. However, if things still do not work out, the parent should make a parenting agreement and be prepared to fully explain why this agreement is in the best interest of the children. They should give adequate time to both parents and make the parenting time schedule fair. This will help the court see that this parent is trying to do what is best for the child and increase the chances of the agreement being accepted. Hopefully, things can be resolved in the best way for the children.

Bring your own version of a parenting plan to mediation, because that helps you get your thoughts organized and down on paper. Preparing a plan gives you time to think about custody preferences, financial obligations, how and where your children should spend their days, and how your family will spend holidays and vacations.

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Making an effective parenting plan is not always easy. It can be overwhelming and scary at times trying to figure out what to include to make it the best it can be. Parents may not know what needs to go into a plan to make effective and worthwhile. Let`s take a look at what a basic plan entails so you know what you should include: A parenting time schedule that shows when each parent cares for the child; A schedule for holidays, birthdays, vacations and special events in the child`s life; Information about the child`s expenses including information about child support; A dispute resolution process that determines how parental disagreements are resolved; A process for making changes to the plan as circumstances change and the child grows older; Provisions the parents feel are necessary for providing and caring for their child; and Additional information that will help make the plan more effective.